As we saw from Governor John Hickenlooper in 2013, he’s much more concerned about cosmetics than substance. The cosmetics of his folksy, everyday Joe, I’m a moderate because I didn’t run for office until I was 50! (but, been doing it for over a decade now! …but hey, did you know I owned a brewpub!) definitely doesn’t align with the substance of him presiding over one of the most leftist, liberal, progressive legislative sessions in Colorado history. His chief-of-staff, Roxane White, just did him no favors in reinforcing that image.

New unemployment numbers just came out for Colorado and with the numbers being lower at 6.2% Roxane White, Hick’s COS, couldn’t wait to blast out a tweet trumpeting them. Wethinks she might have wanted to read the article she linked to first.

Reading The Denver Business Journal article she links to, we can’t help but wonder if she never made it past the headlines to this particular point:

the decline in the jobless rate was due more to a drop in the state’s labor force than job gains, the CDLE estimated.

…people working or actively seeking work — fell by a net 5,400 in December from the previous month, while overall employment — including self-employed people and farm workers — rose by 2,600.

As a result, there were 8,100 fewer people counted as unemployed in the state last month, the CDLE said. [the Peak emphasis]

Wow, you’re right Roxane, that is great news that 5,400 people we’re so discouraged about finding work here in Colorado, they found it preferable to just stop looking. You’re right Ms. White, this is fantastic news, that for every one person who found a job, there were more than two people who were so frustrated in looking they decided to call it quits.

2,200 people found jobs. 5,400 people stopped looking. To Roxane, they count the same; that’s great news and all that matters.